This July, a pair of local agencies will offer a 1.5-mile guided hike at the Olympia Watershed in Felton to educate attendees about the recent habitat and wildfire resilience project there.
The San Lorenzo Valley Water District, which owns the watershed property and operates two wells there, will partner with the Resource Conservation District (RCD) of Santa Cruz County to host the July tour.
Both organizations previously partnered with Jody McGraw Consulting on the project to avoid damaging rare and endangered species while removing invasive plants. A Cal Fire Forest Health Grant funded the project.
The tour offers a chance to learn about endangered species, the Santa Cruz Sandhills, the Olympia Watershed and how the removal of invasive plants lowers wildfire risk. The hike will begin at the Olympia Watershed, just behind the Zayante fire station at 7700 E Zayante Rd. in Felton, on July 12 and run from 9 to 10:30 a.m. It is free and open to the public.
“Bringing people and funding together to complete these multi-benefit projects that protect water supplies, improve sensitive habitats and reduce the scale and intensity of wildfire is at the core of what we do,” Angie Gruys, a project manager and senior communications specialist for the RCD, said in a news release. “We are fortunate to have great partners and are excited to share this important work with the community.”
To learn more or register for the tour, visit www.slvwd.com.
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